Pump construction



June 6, 1950 G. s. PERKINS l v2,510,317

PUMP CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 28, 1948 2 sheets-sheet 1 Patented June 6, 1950 PUMP CONSTRUCTION George S. Perkins, Kew Gardens, N. Y., assigner to National Equipment Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 28, 1948, Serial No. 67,637

6 Claims.

This invention relates to pump construction, and more particularly to pumps especially adapted for use in confectionery-making and similar machines. The pumps used in machines of this character are usually employed for the purpose of delivering the candy material or other viscous substances from a hopper to moulds, or forr depositing small and regulated quantities of the candy material on surfaces to form candies of certain shapes and sizes.

The pumps generally employed for this Work are required to operate with various types of candy materials, some of which is relatively thick and viscous while others are thinner or of less consistency and of more liquid nature. Hence such pumps must be of a nature and construc tion which will enable them to operate accurately and unfailingly with these various candy materials.

One of the lobjects of the present invention is to provide a pump construction in which the handling of various types of candy materials is facilitated; by `which the delivery of the various materials, regardless of their fluidity and viscosity, in accurate amounts into the moulds or on surfaces, is certain and very effectively and rapidly done so that the' resultant products are of uniform nature.

More particularly, the invention contemplates `the provision of a pump in. which a plurality of pistons suctionally draw into their cylinders predetermined amounts of the material to be deposited and then, upon the descent of the pistons, deposit such material into moulds or on surfaces located at the outlets of the cylinders, and in an improved valve or cut-off means located between the hopper and cylinders and by means of which communication is established between the hopper and the cylinders at predetermined times and also a discharge of the contents from the cylinders is had at other times, the cut-oli bar being provided with communication ports in constant communication with the hopper outlet regardless of Whether such ports are in communication with the cylinders or are shut off therefrom.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein tw-o illustrative embodiments of the invention are disclosed, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a pump constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion tion of the pump, with the lower parts thereof shown in section; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the pump, with some of the parts thereof being broken away; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View of a modified structure; Fig.l 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the structure of Fig. Ll, with parts broken away, and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, showing the pistons in the act of forcing the material out through the outlet nipples.

A pump means of the character herein described is particularly adapted for use in confectionary machines, wherein the goods in uid or nearly-fluid form is delivered from a hopper to the pump and is ejected thereby in predetermined or regulated quantities into moulds, or else is deposited upon a suitable surface below the outlet nozzles of thc pump. In the drawings a portion of the hopper is shown at I, the same being provided in its front Wall near the bottom, with an outlet opening 2 of a slotlike form extending substantially from one end lof the hopper to the other. The pump housing is shown at 3 and the same is bored to provide a plurality of adjacent cylinders 4 in each of which is mounted a reciprocating piston 5. The particular pistons shown are of the so-called hydro-sealed type, and are provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves into which a fluid, such as Water contained in the recess indicated at may enter, the water acting as a sealing means.

At the top, each piston is provided with a stem 6 terminating in a head 8 engaged by an operating member 9 which is raised and lowered by `suitable mechanism, in a guide Ill mounted on the stud I I extending from the front of the hopper I. This results in the pistons being vertically reciprocated for a required extent. The lower end of each of the cylinders #i terminates in an outlet opening I2 of less diameter than the diameter of the cylinder, and said outlet opening is adapted at predetermined times, to register with ports extending through a cut-olf bar or valve member I3 to be presently described.

Provided in the lower portion of the housing 3 below the cylinder outlets I2 is a groove I 4 in which the cut-off bar I3 is slidable, said cut-off bar I3 being supported in place in said groove I4 by means of a closure plate I5 attached to the bottom of the pump housing at the bottom of the groove It. The closure plate I5 is provided with a plurality of outlet pipes or nozzles I5 so positioned that one of said pipes or nozzles is located directly below each of the cylinder outlets I2.

The pump housing 3 is secured over the outlet slot 2 of the hopper by means of a clamping plate Il and the said housing 3 is formed with an entrance opening or mouth I8 which registers with the outlet slot 2 of the hopper, as'clearly seen in Fig. l. Said mouth or entrance opening I8 in the pump housing is in communication with the cutoff bar groove i4 by means of a lengthy inlet slot I9 which may be continuous for the greater part of the length of the housing 3 or it may be reinforced at spaced points by the webs 20 shown in Fig. 3.

The cut-ofi bar I3 is provided with a plurality of communication -ports 2|, each, of said ports' having one end, o1' that indicated at A22, in con-- stant communication with the inlet slot I9. Said end is thus located in one side of the bar, While the other end 23 of the communicationlport/I- is at the top of the bar. Thus, each of the communication ports 2l is an angular passagehavi-n'g one end in constant communication with the inlet slot I9 and the other end being adapted",

at predetermined times, toI Vbe located'.y inregistration with one of the outlet openings I2 of a cylinder 4.

Located on the cut-oii bar I3 between the communicationfports ZI are-theA discharge portsfi,

thefsame being adapted', when in registryw-ith.

slida'bly-movedback and Vforth inthe groove'rI.'

During the" withv. properlyVV timed movements. ascent of the@ pistons-'15;` the cut-ofi` baris located inthe position shown in Fig. l, wherein iti will ber notedithat the upper end 23 of.. each of. the corn.-

rrmnication-ports 2t is in registry with. eachofV thecylinder..outletzopenings I2', the opposite' ends- 22fof51.the' communication ports being inv communication with. the inlet slot I9 and hence in confnnunioatiorr with the hopper outlet 2 so that al-:charg'e` ofthe material' from the `hopper is being drawn up into each cylinder on thisrising orisuction. movement of each piston.

When the pistons reach their highest position, thef-:cut-oi! bar is then shifted to disalig-nf the upper ends231 ofports 2i from thecylind'eroutlets itz? andtlii's movement brings the discharge ports-Liga into' registry with the cylinderV outlets IZ'Y-.andf also .into registry with the discharge nozzlesl i6. The pistons are then movedidownwardly` andV theyforce the charges ofimaterial out oithe cylinders,Y down through the discharge portsildandl out throug-hfthe nozzles I5 andi into moulds-0r onto7 a surface placed beneath these nozzles'. It will be noted that While the pump is discharging inv the manner'above` described, and while the upper end 2370i each ofthe communicationports* ZI is cut off from communication with the cylinder outlets I2", the other endi 22 of the communication ports ZI neverthelessl remains in constantcommunicationwith the slot-like inletr fIlB and hencein constant communication with the interior of the hopper. Thus, any agitatingor feed meansl operative in the hopper willt'end tomaintain-the material in these communicatio-nA ports right up to the top outlets 23- thereof. Accordingly, when the cut-off bar shifts from dischargerposition to feed position and the pistons begin their ascent or suction stroke, the material tobe sucked up into each cylinder is presented'right at the bottom opening IZ'-Y in each cylinder; Thishasbeen found exceedingly usefui and resultsin-a uniform amountof goods being always drawn into and hence discharged from each cylinder.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, the cylinders 4 are arranged in two adjacent rows and the cut-od bar I3 is provided with slots 30 extending transversely across the bar, said slots constituting the communication. portsy serving to establish vcommunication between the outlet of thev hopper and each pair of cylinders. These slots 30 extend across the bar and are located between the ports 2t, or inother words, in the same positions as those occupiedby the communication ports 2| in the first embodiment of the invention. It will be notedthatrthetransverse slots 39 have one end always in communication with the inlet I9 so that these slots are= always filled with the material regardless of whether they are aligned or disalignedv With the outlet openings I2 at the bottom 0f the cylinders 4.

Having;v described severa-l'- embodiments of' the inventiontiit `isoler/'ions that the` same is not to be restrictedthereto, but is broad enough to cover' all structuresrwithin the scope-*of lthe anneXed claims.

Vlhatl claim is:

l. En afpumpfconstruction, a housingprovide'd with a-plurality of' cylinders'y each cylinderhav'- ing afbottomv discharge opening, a' pistonr mounted for reciprocating movement in each cylinder, an outlet nozzle'located'V below each cylinder discharge opening; a slidable-cut ofi bar mounted inffthe housing between the-cylinderV discharge ogeningsarandf'the outlety nozzles, cutecff has.' provided' with a plurality1 of vertical` ports adapted, when=tl1e cut-oft bar is in a predeterminedposi-tien,v to establish communicationbe tween'thercylinder dischargevopenings and the outlet nozzles, the cut-off bar being provided with :inlet ports, hopper 'having anfoutlet, `the i.nlet;-ports in' thefcut-off barbeing adapted' by movement of the" cut-oil bar tca l established positiony to: establish communicationv between the cylinder` discharge openings 'and the Yhopper outf let and While'fthe` vertical portszare disalig-ned w-ithfthe cylinder discharge openings andI the outletnozzles, saidri-nl'et ports being inconstant communication with the hopper outlet regarfllessi of' theifpositionzof the` slidable` cuteoff bar.

2. In a pump construction; ai hopperlia'ving an outlet ahousingv connected to the 1outlet of the hopper, a plurality of cylinders carried` by the housing;Y a piston' in each cylinder; eachl cylinder having aA bottom opening, a slidable cut-oi bar Vmountedlin thefhousingbelow saidbottom open ingsfof the cylinders an'dbeing provided.. with coin'- mu-nicatienports each having one end inconstant communicationrwith the hopper outlet and thc other yend adapted, when-the cut-oi bar isin an established; position. -torbe placed in: communi'- cation with theV bottom opening of one-of said cylindersthe cut-off bar having discharge ports extending through it', the housing having discharge outlets, the discharge ports being adapted to align with the bottom openings in the cylin dersand-With the discharge outlets when the cutbar isin a predetermined position and the communication portstherethrough are not in communication with the cylinder openings, one end oi"- each of the communication ports being iny constant communication with the hopper outlet regardless of the posi-tion of the -slidable cut-oi bar.

3i.- Inv a pump, a cylinder having an outlet, a piston'in'said'cylinder, Va housing, a eut-01T bar slidably mounted in said housing, a hopper to which said housing is attached, said hopper having an outlet opening, the cut-off bar being provided with a communication port having one end opening at one side of the bar and its second end opening at the top of the bar, the latter being adapted to register with the outlet opening in the cylinder when the slidable cut-off bar is in a predetermined position, the end of the communication port that is located at the side of the cutoi bar being in constant communication with the hopper outlet regardless of the position of the slidable cut-off bar, the cut-off bar having an outlet port adapted for alignment with the cylinder outlet when the communication port is disaligned from the cylinder outlet.

4. In a pump, a housing provided with a plurality of spaced cylinders, a piston mounted for reciprocating movement in each cylinder, each cylinder being provided with a lower outlet, a slidable cut-olf bar mounted in the housing below the cylinder outlets, the cut-off bar being provided with a plurality of spaced vertically-disposed outlet ports passing through it, said ports being adapted for simultaneous alignment with the cylinder outlets when the cut-off bar is in a certain position and while the pistons are descending, the cut-'01T bar having angular communication ports located between the outlet ports, the communication ports being adapted to each have one end placed in communication with a cylinder outlet when the cut-off bar is in a certain position and while the pistons are ascending, a hopper having an outlet, the housing being connected to the hopper and having the second end of each of the communication ports in the cut-oi bar in constant communication with the hopper outlet regardless of the position of the cut-off bar.

5. In a pump, a hopper having a slot-like outlet, a housing having a slot-like entrance opening extending co-extensively and in communication with the outlet of the hopper, a slidably mounted cut-oi bar in the housing, said bar being provided with a plurality of communication ports, each of said ports having one end in constant communication with the housing entrance opening and hence also in communication with the outlet of the hopper, a plurality of cylinders having openings adapted for registry with the second ends of the communication ports at times when the cut-off bar is in a certain position, the housing having discharge openings, and the cut-off bar having discharge ports situated intermediately of the communication ports, the discharge ports being adapted for registry with the cylinder openings and the discharge yopenings when the cut-off bar is in a certain position and when the communication ports are not in communication with the cylinder openings.

6. In a pump of the character described, a pair of cylinders, a housing in which said cylinders are provided, a piston mounted for reciprocation in each cylinder, each cylinder having an outlet opening at its lower end, a cut-01T bar slidable in the housing below said outlet openings, a hopper provided with a slot-like outlet opening, the housing having a slot-like inlet in communication with the outlet opening, the cut-oi bar being provided witha plurality of transverse slots each having one end in constant communication with the slotlike inlet of the housing, the upper` ends of each of the slots being placed in communication with the outlet openings of the pair of cylinders only at predetermined times by slidable movement of the cut-off bar, and the cut-off bar having discharge openings extending through it for registry with the outlet openings of the cylinders when the upper ends of the slots are out of registry therewith.

GEORGE S. PERKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 208,645 Spencer Oct. 1, 1878 2,074,041 Baldwin Mar. 16, 1937 

